Monday, October 3, 2016

Haunted Arizona with @KetaDiablo #PNR #Romance #Ghosts #RB4U

Comes An Outlaw takes place in Arizona and the state is home to a myriad of haunted locations that can be visited today by the brave and curious ghost hunter!

One story that has always intrigued me takes place at Hotel Weatherford in Flagstaff! Numerous guests have repeated the story of murdered bride and groom.

Enjoy!

Haunted Hotel Weatherford

23 N. Leroux Street

Flagstaff, Arizona

When Arizona was just a territory and vigilantes ruled the dusty streets and trails, in rode John W. Weatherford to Flagstaff. Having a grand vision for Flagstaff, Weatherford soon began to build what would become known as one of the finest hotels in the West. Opening on New Year’s Day, 1900, the luxurious hotel would attract such visitors as newspaper tycoon, William Randolph Hearst, former President Theodore Roosevelt, Old West author, Zane Grey, and lawman, Wyatt Earp.

After his luxury hotel was complete, John Weatherford built the Majestic Opera House, which opened in 1911. When it burned down in 1915, Weatherford was not to be deterred and rebuilt his theater, this time calling it the Orpheum, which continues to stand today.

In the early part of the 20th century, watercolor artist Thomas Moran spent many nights at the Weatherford Hotel while he completed his sketches of western landscapes. These works of art were partially responsible for moving Congress to preserve such places as the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone as National Parks.

Over the years this historic building served a number of purposes, include Flagstaff's first telephone exchange company, a number of restaurants, a theater, a radio station and a billiard hall. Today, it has been fully restored and again caters to Flagstaff travelers.

Along with its rich history, the Hotel Weatherford is also said to be called home to a couple of resident ghosts. The Zane Grey Ballroom, complete with its stained glass windows and antique Brunswick bar from Tombstone, is the site where at least one of Weatherford’s ghosts is said to most often appear. In this beautiful ballroom the ghostly woman has often been spied floating across the room. On other occasions, she is said to dart from one side of the room to the other. Other phenomenon in the ballroom includes the light over the pool table that seemingly sways of its own accord and the sounds of whispers and voices coming from an otherwise empty bar.

Apparently, there the ghosts of a long ago bride and groom also haunt the hotel. According to the legend, the honeymoon couple was murdered in Room 54 of the hotel back in the 1930s. On at least one occasion, an employee who was staying in the hotel, awoke in the middle of the night to find a bride and groom sitting on the foot of the bed. Today, the room has been turned into a storage closet, but that hasn’t stopped the ghostly pair, as guests have often reported seeing the couple enter the room. Staff often report hearing their names being called out by an unseen spirit while on the fourth floor as well as feeling a presence standing behind them.

While at the historic Hotel Weatherford, you may very well "see” a ghost, but if not, you are sure to enjoy the authentic Old West Hotel, old fashioned rooms, and delightful lounges.

~*~

Thanks so much for taking time from your busy schedule to read about a little history from the lovely state of Arizona! We hope if you download The Good, The Bad and The Ghostly, you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing ghost stories from the Old West (not to mention the alpha cowboys!).

Best, Keta Diablo

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About COMES AN OUTLAW:

When a tragic accident claims her husband's life, Jesse Santos must find a way to keep the ranch, the only home her 12-year-old son has ever known. The ranch hands have abandoned her, a gang of cutthroat ranchers want her land and an ancient Yaqui Indian insists a spirit has taken up residence in the house.

After a fifteen year absence, her husband's brother, Coy, returns to his childhood home. He doesn't plan on staying, and he certainly doesn't intend to settle down with a widow and her son…no matter how pretty she is.

He's an outlaw, after all, and made a decision to put an end to his gun-slinging days long ago. Will his conscience let him walk away from family, or will his heart overrule his head?

On the way back to the ranch, Coy allowed Grange to stew for a spell before he broke the silence. "Tell me about the old Indian that lives near the ranch."

"Kajame? He's Yaqui, older than dirt and my friend. He's lived around these mountains all his life in an old abandoned church with crumbling adobe brick walls."

"Indians carry all kinds of superstitions, you know."

"Yeah, guess that's so, but they're smart too, know things you and me would never know if we lived to be one hundred."

"Like the ghost?"

Grange snuck a peek at Coy out of the corner of his eye but kept on riding. "You saw Fetch take off toward the bedroom like his tail was on fire, didn't ya? The dog does that a lot, ever since Pa died."

"Kajame thinks the ghost is your dad?"

"He doesn't say who, only that there's a chichijal hanging around the house. That's the Yaqui word for ghost. Kajame says dogs and children can see ghosts. Do you want to know why?"

"I'll bite."

"Cause they've never been schooled not to." Grange narrowed his eyes and focused on Coy's face. "You're not laughing?"

"Nope, listening. What else does Kajame say?"

"He says I can get rid of the ghost."

"How?"

"Take his boot, make a footprint in the sand, pick up a handful of the dirt and bury it in a graveyard."

"Do you think there's a ghost in the house?"

His answer came fast. "Yes."

"So why don't you do what the old Indian told you to do?"

"Cuz…cuz Ma talks to him sometimes. I hear her through the door, and I don't know what to think." He dropped his voice to almost a whisper. "I don't want to talk about it anymore."

The roof of the barn came into view and next the house. Coy flung his reins around a post near the porch steps and Grange took off toward the barn. Had his brother married an addle-pated woman or had the stress of losing her husband caused her to go off the deep end?

Questions rambled around his brain. A part of him wanted the answers and a part didn't. He didn't have time to get to the bottom of what was going on with his late brother's wife and didn't believe in all this talk about ghosts from a superstitious shaman. Yet, he couldn't ignore the problem with the stolen cattle and the Torres brothers.

Damn, he should have kept on riding when he left Yuma, headed straight for Utah like he planned. He bounded up the porch steps two at a time with the intention of asking the confounded woman what she intended to do about the missing cattle.

~*~

Keta Diablo lives in the Midwest part of the United States on six acres of woodland. When she isn't writing or gardening she loves to commune with nature. A lifelong animal lover, she also devotes her time and support to the local animal shelters.

Keta's a bestselling Amazon author who writes in several genres, including western romance, historical romance, paranormal romance and the occasional gay romance. Her books have received numerous Top Pick, Book of the Month and Recommended Read reviews.

8 comments:

Thanks so much for having us here today. I think Keta's post is fascinating--as was her story. I really enjoy working with her and the others on this anthology and hope your readers will enjoy dipping into it as well.

Oooh, I want to go stay at that hotel. What fun. Keta Diablo's story is a great one. Well written and researched. I loved all the stories in this anthology. Not only a unique read but a thoroughly satisfying one.

Thanks for hosting us. This unique anthology of stories connected by a paranormal detective agency was Keta's idea. It was great fun to work on and collaborate with the other authors. I love a good ghost story, thanks for today's chills, Keta.

Thanks so much for having us here today. I think Keta's post is fascinating--as was her story. I really enjoy working with her and the others on this anthology and hope your readers will enjoy dipping into it as well.

Jean--you're a braver soul than I!

Cara, we do hope you enjoy the book. The stories are very varied and fun.